Nashville is not bottoming out without Weber and Suter. They've consistently lost very good talent to other teams during UFA time and remain a consistent performer. They've lost Hamhuis, Hartnell, Timmonen, Joel Ward, Vokoun, Ellis, Mason, and Lindback but they still remain competitive. I can't recall any others off the top of my head right now, but I'm sure there are others.

This makes Richards/Ehrhoff/Bryzgalov look like child's play. In hindsight I'm shocked teams weren't using huge signing bonuses like this before last offseason.

No one probably thought of it before. Richards just feels like the "dad of" when it comes to these deals, just as Hossa or whoever was with the Kovalchuk style deals. The one that you look at and say "meh, that's bad, but not *that* bad", and then a year or two later you're thinking "well, holy fvck we should have stopped that one."

But going into a negotiation everyone knows nothing is going to happen. The owners wanted a hard cap and then they decided they didn't really need one when it benefits them.

Basically Saskin and Daly look like goofs, but what do you expect when you get a CBA thrown together out of nothing in a few weeks. Hell, the PA should be thanking Saskin at this point, he made this all possible because if this was a hard cap, it would not be happening.

And really, out of all of the fvcked up deals, this is the worst because it directly harms a third party who is a rightsholder. So we get hosed on Parise, BFD, he went UFA, that's how it works and we pretty much bent over the CBA without lube a few years back anyway.

In this case, though, whoa. Basically a team that is a middle-feeder financially now needs to decide if they can afford their best player because of a $26M or whatever payment over the course of a year, in a league where the max salary is a little more than half of that. And only because of that huge payment can they not afford him, otherwise it would be a very easy match, especially since a NTC cannot carry over on a RFA match. It really fvcking sucks for them.

As a teacher I wish I was eligible for this signing bonus thing. I'll get 10,000 a year and a 60,000 dollar annual signing bonus.

No one probably thought of it before. Richards just feels like the "dad of" when it comes to these deals, just as Hossa or whoever was with the Kovalchuk style deals. The one that you look at and say "meh, that's bad, but not *that* bad", and then a year or two later you're thinking "well, holy fvck we should have stopped that one."

But going into a negotiation everyone knows nothing is going to happen. The owners wanted a hard cap and then they decided they didn't really need one when it benefits them.

Basically Saskin and Daly look like goofs, but what do you expect when you get a CBA thrown together out of nothing in a few weeks. Hell, the PA should be thanking Saskin at this point, he made this all possible because if this was a hard cap, it would not be happening.

And really, out of all of the fvcked up deals, this is the worst because it directly harms a third party who is a rightsholder. So we get hosed on Parise, BFD, he went UFA, that's how it works and we pretty much bent over the CBA without lube a few years back anyway.In this case, though, whoa. Basically a team that is a middle-feeder financially now needs to decide if they can afford their best player because of a $26M or whatever payment over the course of a year, in a league where the max salary is a little more than half of that. And only because of that huge payment can they not afford him, otherwise it would be a very easy match, especially since a NTC cannot carry over on a RFA match. It really fvcking sucks for them.

It's ridiculous because it looks like an end around and prices smaller market teams out of being able to sign elite talent.

Nashville is not bottoming out without Weber and Suter. They've consistently lost very good talent to other teams during UFA time and remain a consistent performer. They've lost Hamhuis, Hartnell, Timmonen, Joel Ward, Vokoun, Ellis, Mason, and Lindback but they still remain competitive. I can't recall any others off the top of my head right now, but I'm sure there are others.

Four of those guys are goalies, who've become more or less disposable beings over the last few years anyway, and the rest are role players basically. Replacing both your defensive studs would be crippling, especially since Nashville has no offense to speak of. They were completely built around the big three and two of them are out the door inside a month. And they have to contend with Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit the next few years.

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"The Devils have high standards, that's the difference. We have a standard to live up to every year, and a couple of teams in our area don't have the standards we do." - Pat Burns

The New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cups everywhere:-NHL record for most road wins in the playoffs - 10-1 in '95 and 10-2 in '00-NHL record for most home wins in the playoffs - 12-1 in '03

Four of those guys are goalies, who've become more or less disposable beings over the last few years anyway, and the rest are role players basically. Replacing both your defensive studs would be crippling, especially since Nashville has no offense to speak of. They were completely built around the big three and two of them are out the door inside a month. And they have to contend with Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit the next few years.

I disagree. One of Nashville's main strengths is that they have system and can plug players in to play roles. Trust me In those years where they lost those other players I'm sure there was speculation that they wouldn't be competitive yet they keep going. The departure of Weber and Suter is a setback, but Nashville plays a sytemized team game where that whole is more important than the parts.Remember: Nashville lost 4 games to 1 against Phoenix, Suter and Weber didn't put them over the top.They'll be a top 8 Western Conference team come April 2013: bet.

Wait, one player leaves and they are rebuilding again? Webers a douchebag. Nashville deserves better.

I'll hold off on those comments since Weber, himself, didn't say it. Weber's in a tough situation and so is the team. They wanted a decision right now, and it is fine if he doesn't want to commit right now. That's his right. But the Predators have to protect an asset and avoid the disaster that was the Suter situation.

I don't like the comments by his agent at all though.

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"The Stanley Cup has fallen from the Stars. The new millennium has its first Stanley Cup Champion, and it's the New Jersey Devils." Mike Miller calling the Devils winning the Stanley Cup.

"It goes to the captain and then there are handoffs during a skate around the ice" Mike Emrick as Scott Stevens is being presented the Stanley Cup.

Weber's agent backtracking now, Weber's agent on if NSH matches: "These guys are after one thing and that's winning hockey games. I don't foresee there being a problem." VIA James Mirtle https://twitter.com/mirtle

I'll hold off on those comments since Weber, himself, didn't say it. Weber's in a tough situation and so is the team. They wanted a decision right now, and it is fine if he doesn't want to commit right now. That's his right. But the Predators have to protect an asset and avoid the disaster that was the Suter situation.

I don't like the comments by his agent at all though.

Especially since he profits from this situation. What does Weber get next year under a different CBA? 7-50/55? Hell, if 7 is even legal, although I doubt they'd care about length if all contracts were flat (or flatter).

Weber's (or his agent's) right. Nashville's rebuilding again. Especially if they don't match. Look at their roster, how the hell does that team make the playoffs even, let alone contend?

With thoughts like that, I can see why you jumped ship this off-season to the Sharks (just joking). I guess the Devils are rebuilding too with Parise gone? If the Preds match, how can you call losing Suter rebuilding? When did the Predators ever rebuild the first time, anyway?

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"The Stanley Cup has fallen from the Stars. The new millennium has its first Stanley Cup Champion, and it's the New Jersey Devils." Mike Miller calling the Devils winning the Stanley Cup.

"It goes to the captain and then there are handoffs during a skate around the ice" Mike Emrick as Scott Stevens is being presented the Stanley Cup.

If I'm Nashville and I don't match, I'm basically deciding to bottom out for the next 4 years to get elite talent. No use hanging on and panic trading those picks for players, it's over.

They've got some good pieces still in Rinne, Gabriel Bourque, Craig Smith, Hornqvist,and Ryan Ellis. They're all young still, but there's clearly talent already there. Rinne is good enough to win games for the team provided they get a spark somewhere else.

Nashville has a good fanbase and strong support from the community there, I can't see them bottoming out hoping to pull a Pittsburgh. Poile will have to be very creative, but with tons of cap room and a surplus of picks they may receive, they could still be competitive now with the right deals.